Kenya Moore
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kenya Moore | |
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| Born | January 24, 1971 Detroit, Michigan |
Kenya Summer Moore (born January 24, 1971) is an American film and television actress.
Moore was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan by her grandmother (and primary inspiration) Doris. She is of African-American ancestry, and is a graduate of Cass Technical High School; whose other notable alumni include Diana Ross, David Alan Grier, Lily Tomlin, and Miss USA 1990 Carole Gist (the first African American to win). After high school, she went to Wayne State University where she majored in Psychology.
Moore competed in numerous beauty pageants in 1993; first becoming Miss Michigan USA, then Miss USA, and then competing in Miss Universe, where she finished fifth. At Miss Universe 1993, Kenya was heavily booed. This was attributed to strained political relations between Mexico and the United States (the pageant was held in Mexico.) Another reason was Kenya's entry into the top 10, while Miss Mexico 1993 failed to make the cut. It gained attention again in 2007 when Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith was booed at Miss Universe also held in Mexico.
She is recognizable for her roles in movies such as Waiting to Exhale, In addition to her guest hostess spot on BET's Video Soul, Moore made guest appearance roles in notable sitcoms such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, Martin, and The Steve Harvey Show. However, one of her best acting roles came in the independent film Trois which also starred Gretchen Palmer and Gary Dourdan.
She founded the Kenya Moore Foundation which awards scholarships to under-privileged girls from her high school alma-mater. In 2007, she released her first book Game, Get Some!, that coaches men on how to get the woman of their dreams as she reveals the secrets of what women really desire from men.
[edit] Filmography
- Waiting to Exhale (1995) — Denise
- Senseless (1998) — Lorraine
- Trois (2000) — Jasmine Davis
- No Turning Back (2001) — Lia
- Hot Parts (2003) — Passion
- Deliver Us from Eva (2003) — Renee Johnson
- Nas: Video Anthology Vol. 1 (2004)
- Cloud Nine (2005) — Champagne
- Brothers in Arms (2005) — Mara
- Haitian Nights (2008) - Nadine
[edit] TV appearances
- Video Soul - Guest Hostess
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994) — Dana
- Martin (1996) — Lena Bozack
- Homeboys in Outer Space (1996) — Nefertiti
- Sparks (1997) — Ms. Collins
- Smart Guy (1997) as Vivian Kennedy
- Living Single (1997) — Lisa DeLongpre
- Damon (1998) — Julia Burton
- The Steve Harvey Show (1998) — Miss Gerard
- In the House (1999) — Valerie Bridgeforth
- The Jamie Foxx Show (1999) - Heidi Junk
- The Parent 'Hood (1999) — Celeste
- Nubian Goddess (1999) — Host
- Men, Women & Dogs (2001) — Carmen
- The Parkers (2002) — Herself
- Girlfriends (2004) — Kara
[edit] External links
- Kenya Moore at the Internet Movie Database
- Kenya Moore's Official Website
- Game, Get Some! on Amazon.com
| Preceded by Shannon Marketic |
Miss USA 1993 |
Succeeded by Lu Parker |
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| Miss Universe Dayanara Torres |
Miss USA Kenya Moore |
Miss Teen USA Charlotte Lopez |
